I didn't think we were debating, just discussing in a relaxed manner. I think our viewpoints are very alike in many ways. And this is probably the most interesting discussion I've read on the site in a very long while.HAL76 wrote: Sat Aug 16, 2025 8:54 amI don't want to let the debate get out of hand, but it seems quite open whether complexity will be handled in the future in the same way that seems normal to us today. Production technology has improved dramatically, and AI is casting its shadow... Anyone who has already delved deeper into sound design and production and is familiar with a broad portfolio of music may also know or already suspect that we are no longer in the same comfortable situation as in the 90s, when something new was added every month. In this context, DJs and influencers are gaining influence; we can already see that. It also seems quite plausible that the offering will simply continue to grow, and that much will be around forever. Many things will just – almost certainly – no one will be able to find anymore. Just like a lost doll on a garbage mountainVitaminD wrote: Sat Aug 16, 2025 3:13 amTrue for many listeners these are just another song in a playlist curated by someone else or even in a radio format without a playlist. So they don't care.HAL76 wrote: Fri Aug 15, 2025 8:04 pmFor sure, reality is polycontextural (does this word exist in english?). But you say it yourself: streaming. If you ask me the associated license models imply that the consumers don´t care. They don´t mind, they don´t even know the names, they are just consuming what wo ever delivers to them. So what?VitaminD wrote: Fri Aug 15, 2025 2:41 pmIt could also be considered a negative in that digital format is easier to remove from history. People could just pretend it didn't happen or wasn't widespread. Esp today with all the streaming.HAL76 wrote: Fri Aug 15, 2025 10:55 am And See positive: it will be so much easier one day to completely delete any hint of what noise came from these sick millenials minds
Yet in historical sense, it might be more difficult to claim something as factual if much of the evidence no longer exists.
With digital formats, I see they are more easily erased from history than analog counter parts. A large EMP or simply the power grid failing long term and most evidence of the digital is gone. But it is worse than that as digital becomes more easily altered. Esp with AI. I can imagine a society that believes something happened in 100 years (or less) that didn't because AI has been used to hijack reality by carefully altering it with enough fake replacements to question the truth. Probably more dangerous for everyday people than 'notable' people in the news often.
But how hard would it be to have AI craft a few songs then craft videos with those songs in them? Not music videos but every day life videos. Say a guy walking down a street talking about something unrelated when car drives by with the song blaring from it. Or scenes from a party with the song where the song isn't real and neither were the people or the party. In 100 years it will be difficult to corroborate any of it.
Even today with a photograph of someone it can be impossible to identify them. With AI I think it will become much more difficult as the quality of fakery improves.
And even if that horror doesn't occur, it seems certain data points are higher and lower on priority to be retained. Usually based around the most prominent or at least the loudest groups. As such, I suspect we'll see reality smeared or fragmented more and more as time passes if the only references are individual, digital data points. In this case music. A top 10 or even top 50 listing may be saved but that doesn't really paint an accurate picture, for example. This is true even now with analog but with so much more in digital. The issue multiplies far worse.
And, as you mentioned, with so much content to weigh, we'll need better tools to locate and sort the data. Also a task for 'AI' to complete. But how accurate a job it does will be down to the person who programs the tools and then writes the query. Will there even be a consensus of history in the future?
I think most under 50 years of age will experience a much more interesting time within their lifetime.
As far as music goes, Human played live music will probably be more valued. Orchestral music, Classical music, even Rock and Pop music. I can see a time when most get tired of digital copies and go back to live humans for the interaction. Perhaps even humans playing analog instruments would be a sub genre in a digital world. Much like digital/dance music gained traction as being different from the analog norm. But even if the humans are playing the music, will it be a robot writing the songs?
